CinderSasuko
by ElwynWanderer
Summary: Sasuko grew up slaving away for her evil uncle and brothers. But thanks to a fairy godfather named Kakashi, she can finally achieve her dreams by marrying a prince and making everyone green with envy. AU, Fem!Sasuke. Crack-ish.
1. The Heroine's Family is Introduced

CinderSasuko

By ElwynWanderer

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Summary: Sasuko grew up slaving away for her evil stepfamily. But thanks to a fairy godfather named Kakashi, she can finally achieve her dreams by marrying a prince and making everyone green with envy. AU, Fem!Sasuke.

Disclaimer: Please, if I owned Naruto this fic would be a bestseller. (Um, I hope.)

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Chapter One: In Which the Heroine's Family is Introduced

Once upon a time, in the far away land of Konoha, there lived a beautiful girl named Sasuko Uchiha. She had two older brothers named Itachi and Obito, and all three of them loved each other very much and got along with each other very well, despite being siblings. They and their parents were a wealthy family who lived in a mansion just on the edge of Konoha Forest, and aside from the untimely death of Sasuko's mother, nothing occurred that could possibly mar their happiness.

That is, until their father died a while before this story begins, around the time when Sasuko was just becoming a teenager. Then Uncle Madara took charge of the Uchiha siblings' upbringing. Madara was a friendly guy who did his best to help his nephews and niece overcome the tragedy of their loss. He managed the Uchiha Inheritance responsibly - something his brother hadn't really tried to do - so that the money could help Itachi, Obito, and Sasuko instead of being used for frivolous things that no one really needed or cared for. However, Uncle Madara's merely middle-class job as a business manager of a general store (menial by Uchiha standards) didn't pay enough to maintain his wards' extravagant lifestyle, and even with the help of Itachi and Obito, who were both old enough to help out in the shop, the family had to cut back on luxuries, including the servants.

This meant that Sasuko, who was the only person at home after school, had to take over the duties of the servants. She was quite resentful about this new arrangement, and quickly became convinced that Uncle Madara disliked her for her ungodly good looks and mad dancing skills and because of this made Sasuko work like a slave. To her family's bewilderment, she began to lash out at them at the slightest provocation. She thrived on drama, and after a while this became her way of life.

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"Sasuko, are you busy tonight?" Obito asked his little sister when he walked through the front door of the Uchiha Mansion and cautiously removed his orange-tinted goggles from his sensitive eyes. "Because the Inuzukas are throwing an awesome party, and Itachi and I are going."

Sasuko, who was wearing an apron over her blue-and-tan plaid dress, glared at her brother so fiercely that he brought his goggles down over his eyes again, just in case Sasuko decided to throw something at him as she often did. "You two have fun," the spiky-haired beauty said icily, making a point of mopping the entrance hall as she spoke.

"Well, um, I meant, I was wondering if you wanted to come along," Obito stammered.

Sasuko might have come up with a retort that would leave her poor big brother in tears, but just then Itachi walked in through the door. His timing was perfect. Heck, everything about him was perfect, and it drove Sasuko crazy. She wasn't jealous or anything (her good looks and dance skills were better than even Itachi's, after all), but it was her infuriatingly perfect brother's fault that she was stuck doing chores for Uncle Madara.

"What's going on?" Itachi asked in a perfect rich baritone voice as he surveyed the entrance hall with his perfect dark eyes partly concealed by his perfect black hair. Ooh, it just made Sasuko want to _puke_! And kill him, too, let's not forget that part.

Obito edged toward Itachi as if to escape from Sasuko. "Nothing, Bro, I just was trying to invite Sasuko along with us to the party the Inuzukas are having," he admitted, rather timidly.

As if on cue the two young men looked at their sister for an answer. Sasuko huffed and jammed the mop into the bucket by her feet. "Will you _quit it_ with the teasing? You worthless idiots _know_ Uncle Madara would never let me go to a party and have fun. So stop rubbing it in my face and get out of my entrance hall while I'm trying to clean it!"

"Hey, hey, relax Sis," Obito appealed anxiously. "We'll convince Uncle Madara to let you come with us. You've done so much that you deserve a break every now and then. Right, Itachi?"

Itachi allowed himself a small smile, the smug jerk, and nodded. "Of course you deserve to have some fun. You haven't been out in ages. We'll talk to Uncle Madara, and…"

"Oh,_** shut up!**_" Sasuko was out for blood, and both of her brothers knew it. "Why are you always acting so fake-nice when we all know you aren't _really_ going to go to Uncle Madara? You have so much fun, don't you, gloating over the fact that I'm forced to work like a slave while you guys get to go out and have fun? And then on top of that you pretend to help me, like my feelings are some elaborate joke you can pull!" Sasuko drew herself up in self-righteous fury. "Well, I'm sick of it! **Get out of my entrance hall while I'm trying to clean! OUT! OUT!**"

"_Your_ entrance hall?" a fatherly voice drifted down the stairs. "My, my, aren't we ambitious?" Sasuko whirled around to see her dreaded Uncle Madara leaning casually over the banister with a sardonic smile on his face, his slightly bloodshot eyes roving the room below.

"Uncle Madara, can Sasuko come with us to the party tonight?" Obito blurted before he lost his sudden bout of courage. Madara chuckled softly.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt. But, Sasuko, if you want to go you'll need to wear something more appropriate."

The blue-clad girl tossed her raven hair disdainfully. "No thank you, I'm not going to go. This is all some sort of practical joke, I know it is, and I won't be a part of it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go dust the upstairs curtains."

She stormed out of the room, and the three Uchiha males looked at each other in confusion.

"What's her deal?" fumed Obito as he once again deemed it safe enough to lift his goggles. "She wasn't like this before Father died."

"Teenagers," Madara shrugged. "They always think someone's out to get them and steal their rights and make them into slaves. You were the same once, you know, Obito." Obito looked horror-stricken. "But you got better when you met Rin," his uncle added as an afterthought.

"I bet Itachi was never like that," Obito said with a glance at his big brother.

"Itachi was a result of your parents' wish for a perfect son," Madara pointed out. "_Of course_ he was never like that. He's been this mature since…"

"Since about when I was six years old," Itachi said with the shadow of a grin, which, for him, was like glomping everyone in sight with a smile that split one's face in half.

"But _Sasuko_…" Madara rubbed his temples wearily. "That girl is something else entirely. I think she genuinely believes I'm trying to make her a slave, when really, _every_ legal guardian has to discipline their teenagers and enforce rules. You two are old enough to look after yourselves; Sasuko isn't."

"But she acts like we're all out to get her!" Obito burst out. "She's so moody all the time, not like her old self at all! I miss my little sister!"

Itachi spoke up. "Don't worry about Sasuko. Leave her to her scheming fantasies for now, and then she'll wake up one day to have grown out of it like everyone does. You did, Obito."

His younger brother blushed, and Madara nodded. "Yes, she'll grow up, and all we have to do is wait. What could go wrong?"

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Elsewhere in Konoha, a gray-haired man with fairy wings giggled as he read his copy of _Cinderella_. Oh how he loved giving others Happily Ever Afters modeled after his favorite stories.


	2. A Queen Plans a Ball

Chapter Two: In Which a Queen Plans a Ball

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Queen Tsunade was furious. Ever since her no-good husband up and died on her, leaving her with a kingdom to run and a young prince, her only joy lay in raising her pink-haired child, whose name was Sakaru. But now Sakaru had grown up into a no-good son who was quite handsome (except for his abnormally large forehead), but was constantly rejected by every girl he approached (and that was a good many). The only girl in the kingdom, it seemed, with an interest in Sakaru was a martial-arts specialist with bushy eyebrows named Rock Lei, and she was so plain (not to mention somewhat frightening) that Sakaru was desperate to avoid her, and Tsunade couldn't really blame him.

However, this left the Queen in an interesting predicament: where was she going to find a wife for her son? Fortunately she knew the best person to consult in such matters: her niece, Ino, who had scoured Konoha twice over in search of true love. If anyone could find a match for Prince Sakaru, it was she.

"Your Majesty," announced Tsunade's Head Steward Yamato, "Lady Ino is here for her audience."

The Queen smiled warmly as her niece - who was still too skinny - walked into the throne room. "Hello, Ino," said the Queen. "I wish this were just a social visit, but I'm afraid it's much more serious."

Ino paled. "It's Prince Sakaru, isn't it? What has that cousin of mine done this time?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Whatever it was, it's scared all of the girls away - Rock Lei excepted, of course." Both women shuddered. "And now," the Queen continued, "I don't know haw I shall ever get Sakaru a wife."

"Oh, is that all?" Ino's face cleared, and she clapped her hands excitedly. "Why not throw a ball? Everyone will come - they wouldn't want to offend the Queen - and we can pick out the best bride for Sakaru."

The Queen thought for a moment. "I suppose that could work…Yamato!" The steward appeared in the doorway. "Go send out invitations for a ball in seven days to every household in the kingdom."

Ino smiled conspiratorially as the steward disappeared again. "Don't worry, Your Majesty, this is going to work out fine," she said confidently.

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Sakaru, Crown Prince of Konoha, was being beaten by a girl. Repeatedly. And what's more, the girl in question was the bushy-browed Rock Lei, who had somehow managed to convince the Prince to spar with her. He couldn't figure out how she'd done it; she hadn't even fallen to the floor begging. He avoided her like the plague, and then when she tracked him down she just looked him in the eye and said "Please," and he had agreed to spend the entire afternoon with her.

What was wrong with him that he couldn't say no to a person he detested?

"That was a good match, Prince Sakaru, wouldn't you agree?" Rock Lei asked happily as she handed him a towel.

The Prince took it and rid himself of sweat, noting enviously that she wasn't tired at all. "I guess so," he said, inspecting his gold-trimmed red suit for signs of damage.

Rock Lei let out a cheer and began to do jumping jacks at top speed. "This is most excellent," she cried. "Now I shall have a sparring partner! Shall we do another few rounds, Prince Sakaru?"

Sakaru wanted to scream at the idea of being defeated by the martial-arts specialist in her garish green unitard for another solid hour, but fortunately they were interrupted by the timely arrival of Sai, the head of castle security.

"Your Highness, Lady Rock Lei, please excuse my intrusion…"

Prince Sakaru leapt forward. "No, no, it's all right, Sai. What is it?"

"Her Majesty Queen Tsunade has requested to see you, your Highness."

"Fantastic!" Sakaru quickly reassembled his expression into one of graveness. "I mean, I'll come right away."

He walked hastily to the door, barely able to keep himself from sprinting, and Rock Lei's voice blared after him: "It seems we must part for now, Cherry Tree of my heart, but when next we spar do not expect me to go easy on you just because you are a man!"

As Sakaru hurried to the throne room, he desperately hoped his mother had found him a different suitor.

He was not disappointed.


	3. Sasuko is Promised a Happily Ever After

Chapter Three: In Which Sasuko is Promised a Happily Ever After

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The Inuzuka Residence blared with newfangled tango and foxtrot music as people form all over Konoha took to the dance floor. Kiba, the host of the party, was dancing front and center with his girlfriend Hinata, who was all but dying from embarrassment; Hinata's cousin Nejiko stood in a corner with her friend Tenten, trying to persuade her to talk to Itachi; Obito and Rin were out on the balcony, holding hands with lovesick expressions on their faces; and Itachi was standing next to and slightly in front of his sulking sister Sasuko and giving death glares to any boys that approached her.

"This is no fun," said Sasuko bitterly to her best friend Naruta Uzumaki, who stood loyally beside her, clad in orange.

_You're telling me,_ Naruta thought, but she said nothing.

"You said you wanted to come," Itachi pointed out.

"Because I wanted to prove that you and Uncle Madara wouldn't _let_ me come," Sasuko fumed. "But you _did_ let me come just to spite me, didn't you?"

"Want me to bring you some punch?" Naruta asked with a longing look at the refreshment table.

"Only if it's tomato," said Sasuko before her friend dashed off.

A cold silence fell between the two Uchiha siblings before a girl clad in pale pink walked nervously up to them. Her brown hair was done up into buns on each side of her head. "Hi," she said in a tiny squeak. "Um, I'm Tenten. You might not remember, but- "

"We've met," said Itachi.

"Oh. You remembered." Her voice began to gain strength. "That's right. We met at Sir Asuma and Lady Kurenai's wedding. I was wondering, would you like to- "

"Yes," Itachi said without thinking. Sasuko raised an eyebrow, Tenten turned as pink as her dress, and Itachi looked startled. He glanced back at his sister, but she only rolled her eyes.

"Go have your fun. Dance! Go on!" Tenten and Itachi, both with rather bewildered looks on their faces, slipped into the crowd of guests, and Sasuko cast a sidelong look at the shadows of the wall. "Did you make that girl come over here to dance with my brother?" she asked.

A tall man with silver hair and fairy wings stepped out from the shadows. He wore a mask that hid all but his right eye. "Guilty as charged," he said cheerfully, raising a hand in a gesture of honesty. "But they wanted to, anyway. I just helped them out a bit."

Sasuko snorted. "Why?"

"Because I wanted to talk to you in private, of course. You're due for your Happily Ever After, you know. I would've put it off, but the Fairy Godparent Council put their foot down and insisted I be punctual for once, so here I am."

"Who are you?" Sasuko asked suspiciously.

The fairy-man looked wounded. "What? You mean you've never heard of the Uchiha Family's Fairy Godfather?"

"I thought we had a Fairy Godmother."

"I'll have you know the wings don't make me any less of a man!" her Fairy Godfather exploded. "Geez, I don't have a sparkly pink magic wand! What else do you want from me?"

"What do you use if not a wand?"

The Fairy Godfather pointed to the covered left side of his face. "A magical Wish-Granting Eye!"

Sasuko crossed her arms. "Right. So, what was it you said about my Happily Ever After?"

"Ah, yes." The Fairy Godfather straightened and clasped his hands behind his back. "I, the Uchiha Fairy Godfather Kakashi, am honor- and duty-bound to give each member of the Uchiha family a Happily Ever After as deemed appropriate by a parent or legal guardian and the Fairy Godparent Council, and within certain guidelines. You are to be the next to receive a Happily Ever After, so I am here to help you come to a wise decision and grant your wishes until the terms of your Happily Ever After have been met. So…What'll it be?"

Sasuko considered his speech. "What about Itachi? You haven't given him a Happily Ever After."

"Oh, well, I got the Fairy Godparent Council to extend the deadline," Kakashi said sheepishly. "It's hard to give a Happily Ever After to someone who's perfect."

Sasuko thought some more. "What kind of Happily Ever After do I get?"

"How about getting married…" Kakashi waggled his eyebrows. "…to a prince?"

"Why would I want to…" The raven-haired girl stopped short as she thought of the independence she would gain once she was free of her evil family and bound in matrimony to a future king. "Which prince did you have in mind?"

Kakashi grinned from beneath his mask. "Konoha's very own Prince Sakaru, of course!"

A slow smile began to form on Sasuko's lips. "All right, I'll do it. Is there some kind of…contract I have to agree to or something?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, there is. Just say this aloud: 'I, so-and-so, hereby wish for a Happily Ever After that will do such-and-such, by the powers of the Fairy Godfather Kakashi, and if he fails to deliver as promised, may his wings fall off and his…' Well, we'll just forget about that last part."

Sasuko took a deep breath. "I, Sasuko Uchiha, hereby wish for a Happily Ever after that will free me from my family and marry me into the royal family, by the powers of the Fairy Godfather Kakashi, and if he fails to deliver as promised, may his wings fall off and…Am I done now?"

Outside the Inuzuka Residence there was a distant rumble of thunder, and Kakashi groaned. "I really wish you hadn't put my wings at stake. Anyway, I have a plan to get you with Sakaru, but it still has a few flaws in it. I'll come by tomorrow morning at dawn to tell you once I've got all the kinks worked out. Have fun at the party!" He vanished in a puff of mauve smoke, and Sasuko allowed herself a small grin.

"You can't trust Fairy Godparents, you know," said a dry voice behind her, and she whirled to face it with her fingers curled around the hilt of the kitchen knife she kept hidden in her skirt for self-defense.

The person who had spoken was a teenage boy an inch or so shorter than her, with dark sunglasses, curly dark brown hair, and a dark trenchcoat. "Who are you?" Sasuko asked for the second time that night, and the dark boy shrugged.

"Shino," he said.

"Shino what?"

"Just Shino," said Shino.

"Why did you say you can't trust Fairy Godparents?" Sasuko demanded. "Kakashi doesn't seem like the honest type, but he seems like the type to keep promises."

Shino shook his dark curly head. "Fairy Godparents are so biased. They give you challenges to overcome, and if they like you the challenge will be super easy, but if you're not the type of godchild they want, you'll never over come it, and you and your descendents will suffer from it forever. Remember the girl from Kumogakure with a really horrible laugh?"

"Yeah," said Sasuko. "Every time she laughed, her Fairy Godmother made toads come out of her mouth to discourage her, but she was just too happy, and her village is still swarming with toads today."

"Exactly. And remember what happened to the Aburame family?"

Sasuko's eyes widened. "The curse of the were-insect," she said in a hushed voice. "Sir Aburame liked his pet insects more than actual people, so his Fairy Godmother made him switch back and forth between human and insect forms in the hopes that he would grow to appreciate humans more."

"Lies," Shino said dismissively. "She made him a were-insect so that bug maniacs like him and his family would be forced to hide in the wild and never return to human civilization except in secret."

"How do you know all this?"

Shino was quiet for a long time before he spoke. "My Fairy Godmother was the one who cast the curse. She brags about it all the time."

"That must be a pain," Sasuko said sympathetically.

They both fell silent for a few minutes.

Shino started to back up. "I should probably go home now. Maybe I'll see you later." He backed up some more.

"Wait," said Sasuko. "What should I do about my Fairy Godfather? You were obviously eavesdropping, and then you barged in and told me not to trust him, and now you're just going to leave? I think you owe me more than just a pleasant little chat."

"I'll come by the Uchiha Mansion tomorrow and help you out with whatever crazy plan your Fairy Godfather comes up with," Shino suggested. "Will that work?"

"I guess so. See you."

"I'm back," Naruta said, emerging from the crowd with a cup of tomato punch. Sasuko looked for Shino, but he had already disappeared from view.

The Uchiha scowled. "How long does it take to get a glass of punch?"

Itachi took up his position slightly in front of Sasuko with a "Sorry I took so long."

"What were _you_ doing?" Naruta asked him as she held out the cup of punch to Sasuko.

"I'm going to go home now," Sasuko announced, ignoring the punch Naruta offered. She was gone before Itachi could insist on escorting her home.

Sasuko's brother and best friend looked at each other.

"So…" began Naruta. "Did you get the invitation to the Royal Ball?"


	4. A Plan Begins to Form

Chapter Four: In Which a Plan Begins to Form

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Shino Aburame landed on one of the windows of the Uchiha Mansion and folded his gossamer wings demurely behind him as he crawled along the glass. He wasn't used to being this small of an insect, but he didn't want to startle anyone if they looked out the window as the sun rose and saw an abnormally large Giant Leopard Moth scuttling around outside. Besides, no insect would dare to pick a fight with him, no matter his size, and even birds or lizards would think twice about it.

Shino buzzed in annoyance; the window was closed tightly. His wings whirred into action as he zig-zagged his way to the next window. Good, someone had left this one open. Shino slipped inside.

The room was lit by the rising sun, revealing a chaotic bedroom and a black-haired young man sprawled out on the wrinkled sheets of his bed. Orange-tinted goggles were clutched in his hand, and he breathed slowly and deeply.

Shino crossed the room, hugging the ceiling to avoid detection, and sagged in relief when he saw that the door was open as well.

He buzzed out into the hallway and flew around until he saw what he was looking for: a puff of mauve smoke. He darted to the ceiling and morphed into an insect with good hearing.

"Kakashi," said Sasuko's voice. Shino strained to see her, but his eyesight wasn't as good as it had been in his previous form, and all he could see now were indistinct blurs.

"Hey, Sasuko!" the Fairy Godfather's voice answered. "I think I fixed everything in my plan. Wanna hear?"

"I'm listening."

"Have you heard Prince Sakaru is having a ball to find a wife? So all you have to do is attend."

"What if he chooses someone else?"

"He won't once I'm through with you. You'll be the main event at the ball." He chuckled darkly.

"Uncle Madara won't let me go."

"He won't know you're missing. Your friend, Naruta, does she know a lot about you and can you trust her with this plan?"

Sasuko seemed to be considering his question. "Yes," she said after a moment. "Why?"

"She'll take your place. I'll cast a spell to make her look like you while you're gone."

"You must be joking."

"No joke," said Kakashi gleefully. "Let's see…I'll take care of your dress, and I can use a tomato for the coach and some dogs for the horses, so all we need now is a coachman."

Shino couldn't help himself. He zoomed at the floor, simultaneously returning to human form. "I'll be her coachman," he said as his feet touched the carpet.

Sasuko was staring at him from the doorway of what was probably her room, dressed in a navy blue nightgown. Kakashi stood in the hallway across from her, looking impassive.

"Where did you come from?" gasped Sasuko.

"Hello, Shino," said Kakashi.

Sasuko struggled to put her thoughts into words. "You…Were you a…bug?"

"Of course he was," said Kakashi. "He's an Aburame were-insect. Well, now that you've got a coachman, I'll go speak to Naruta about becoming you."

"Wait, wait, who says he gets to be the coachman?" Sasuko protested. "I barely know him; we only met last - "

The hall filled with mauve smoke.

"Maybe I should go, too," Shino mumbled as the smoke cleared. "Mr. Uchiha probably won't be too happy about a were-insect in his house. I'm…sorry about that. I just wanted to be nearby in case your Fairy Godfather tried something."

"It's fine, Shino," Sasuko said half-heartedly. "I don't mind having you for a coachman; you just took me by surprise. See you on the first day of the ball?"

Shino nodded and morphed into an insect, buzzing into Obito's room further down the hall. Sometimes he wondered why he was being so nice.

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"AAAAH!" screamed a surprised Naruta as her kitchen filled with mauve smoke and a gray-haired man with wings and a mask waved cheerfully at her.

"Yo," said the fairy-man. "I'm Sasuko's Fairy Godfather Kakashi with a very important request. You're Naruta, right?"

"Um, yeah…"

"Good, because I need to ask you to help Sasuko go to the ball Prince Sakaru is throwing by pretending to be her. Feel up to it?...Please say yes," he added, somewhat desperately. "I don't have time to find a replacement Sasuko replica."

"True; the ball's in two days. You should've asked me sooner."

Kakashi scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm a bit of a procrastinator," he mumbled, and then he proceeded to tell Naruta of his ingenious plan.

"Let me see if I have this straight," said Naruta when he was finished. "You're helping Sasuko go to the Royal Ball and want me to…pretend to be her?"

"So that her uncle and brothers won't know she's missing," Kakashi explained. "I was thinking you could come by the Uchiha Mansion tomorrow to practice before the real thing in two days."

"How long would I have to pretend to be her?"

"Just until midnight - as a member of the Fairy Godparent Council, I have to enforce curfew. I'll use a spell to turn you into Sasuko, and then you pretend to be her while she goes to the ball and marries Prince Sakaru as part of her Happily Ever After contract, and that's it."

"That's it?" Naruta repeated dubiously.

"Fairy Godparents' honor," swore Kakashi.

"Well…I guess I could do it for Sasuko. She is my best friend." Although I question her taste in men if she wants to marry that stalker prince Sakaru, she mentally added.

Kakashi sighed in relief. "Well, that takes care of one part of Operation Sasuko's-Happily-Ever-After, which only leaves me to find the dress and turn the tomato into the coach and get Pakkun to agree to become a horse. That's manageable. And thank you for your time." He bowed courteously to Naruta, and then there was nothing but mauve smoke where he had stood.


	5. Very Important Preparations Are Made

Chapter Five: In Which Very Important Preparations Are Made

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Prince Sakaru couldn't decide which of his custom-made suits he should wear to the ball tomorrow. He had been debating between the red-and-gold and the red-and-silver for the seven days since the ball had been announced, and he still couldn't reach a decision. On the one hand, the red-and-gold suit made him look rich, and that might help catch a girl. But on the other hand, the red-and-silver suit made him look more attractive, and wasn't that an important factor in getting a girl, too? He couldn't decide, so he asked for advice.

First was his cousin Ino. Prince Sakaru interrupted her work overseeing the decorations for the palace, and told her the reasons for each of the suits. She metaphorically hit the roof. "True love doesn't rely on good looks alone, Sakaru! If that's the only reason for wearing the red-and-silver suit, go with the gold one!"

Next was Sakaru's mother, Queen Tsunade. He found her in her study and explained his dilemma to her. She, too, reacted strongly. "Sakaru James William Clarence Haruno, don't you DARE wear a suit that attracts gold-diggers! I will NOT have the next Queen of Konoha be an irresponsible, spoiled brat who married you for money! Wear the silver one!"

Now Sakaru was really in trouble. He had one vote for each, and he wasn't anywhere nearer to picking one or the other. He had asked the only two females he knew that weren't potential brides-to-be, and he didn't want any girl we might marry someday to see him in this demeaning state of indecision.

Oh. He could ask Rock Lei. He knew her pretty well because she was training him in martial arts (and also because she'd been stalking him since they were twelve), and he _knew_ she wouldn't be the girl he ended up marrying, so he could ask her without losing any dignity. So he sent for her and waited in the room they had chosen for their sparring sessions.

He had only been there for a minute before Rock Lei charged into the room in all her bushy-browed glory. "You sent for me, o Prince of my Heart?"

"Yes," said Sakaru. "I thought perhaps you could help me decide which of these suits I should wear at the ball tomorrow night. The one with gold thread makes me look rich, but the one with silver thread makes me look more handsome, and I'm not sure which quality will attract more girls. You're a girl, so I…"

He trailed off when he saw the expression on the martial artist's face. The ball was a touchy subject for her because it meant, in short, rejection. She was scowling, and her eyebrows made it look terrifying. "Oh, you noticed I'm a girl. I'm flattered. You know, you won't find love with a girl if she only cares about how good you look or how rich you are. I love you because you are smart, confident, and kind to animals. The amount of money or power you have means nothing to me."

"So…the red-and-silver suit, right?" Sakaru guessed, and Rock Lei just sighed.

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Kakashi, Shino, and Naruta stood in the street in front of the display window of _Shizune's Ball and Bridal Boutique_, preparing for Sasuko's Happily Ever After at the upcoming ball. The Fairy Godfather had made his wings invisible, and he was quizzing Naruta while Shino examined the dresses in the window.

"Okay, so Itachi walks into the room," said Kakashi. "What do you do?"

"Pretend to ignore him and glare at the floor," Naruta answered promptly.

"And if he tries to talk to you?"

"Snarl, 'What do you want, Itachi?' and glare at the wall."

"Show me."

Naruta assembled her expression into a pout and looked furiously at the cobblestone road.

"Hey Sasuko, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"What do - Oh, nice try, Kakashi. If he _says_ what he wants before I can ask, I say no and roll my eyes at the ceiling."

"Just testing you," Kakashi said. "So…what if Madara walks into the room?"

Naruta jerked to attention. "I'm doing the laundry next," she snapped defensively.

"Perfect. How about Obito?"

"You have ten seconds to state your business or get out," Naruta said coldly, looking him in the eye. "TIME'S UP!" she shrieked after six seconds.

"Bra_vo_," Kakashi enthused.

"Found it," Shino announced. The were-insect stood in the doorway of _Shizune's Ball and Bridal Boutique_, pointing inside with his thumb.

The dress he had chosen was a beautiful deep blue silk gown patterned with black ravens. Naruta liked it instantly, but Kakashi groaned when he saw the price tag.

"If only the Fairy Godparent Council hadn't outlawed wish-money," he sighed. "It's not like the amount for a dress would really ruin the economy and cause inflation to skyrocket. But no, we can't make something from nothing anymore. Now we have to transform and manipulate matter instead of just DOING it. All right, Shino, Naruta, cough it up. The Fairy Godparent job doesn't pay well enough to cover this dress."

"What?" Naruta whined. "Can't you just turn one of Sasuko's dresses into a ball gown? Why do _we_ have to pay for it?"

"Because I won't copy the style onto Sasuko's dress; that's fashion plagiarism. It's wrong and cheats fashion designers out of a job."

"Are you sure it's not that you just don't have the powers to change Sasuko's dress?" Shino challenged, and Kakashi froze.

"I…am…not…weak," Kakashi growled. "And I'll prove it. Fine. Fine! Let's make the fashion designers suffer! See if I care! Come on, let's go change Sasuko's dress! Why not!" He stalked out of _Shizune's Ball and Bridal Boutique_, two smug teenagers in his wake.


	6. Naruta Goes Undercover

Chapter Six: In Which Naruta Goes Undercover

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The afternoon before the ball was sun-filled and lazy - a sharp contrast to the feelings of every household in Konoha. The Uchiha mansion, however, was empty but for an impatient dark-haired girl and her blond best friend. Naruta (the blond) had been relieved to learn that Madara, Itachi, and Obito would be gone for several hours, giving Sasuko and her cohorts time to prepare. However, that didn't stop the Uzumaki from worrying.

Mauve smoke heralded the arrival of Sasuko's Fairy Godfather. "Sorry I'm late," Kakashi shouted over the baying of a pack of dogs which, along with Shino, a tomato, and a dress box, had materialized with the Fairy Godfather. "I had to pick up some stuff on my way here. Sasuko, go put this on." He handed her the dress box. "It took me a lot of effort to change that shabby dress of yours into the ball gown we chose, so be careful not to damage it."

"Yeah, yeah," Sasuko acknowledged as she left the room.

"What's with the tomato?" Naruta yelled.

"The coach," shouted Kakashi. "We'd better go outside for this. HEEL," he suddenly bellowed, and the pack of dogs fell silent and obediently followed their master out the back door and into the field behind the mansion. Naruta and Shino did the same.

Kakashi placed the tomato in the middle of the yard and moved his mask so that both of his eyes were uncovered. He then turned to the pack of dogs. "Assemble," he ordered, and the dogs grudgingly got into two rows in front of the tomato. "Hokasu pokasu," Kakashi chanted.

Two rows of elegant horses stood, bridled and ready to go, in front of a round, bright red coach.

"You _can_ drive the coach, right?" Kakashi asked Shino nervously, and Naruta wondered if he'd thought of this only just now.

Shino climbed into the driver's seat and took the reigns. "Of course," he said.

Kakashi looked relieved. "Okay Naruta, you're next." He turned to face her, and she got a good look at his magic eye for the first time - it was reddish purple with swirling black dots that made her feel kind of seasick. "Presuto cheinujo," the Fairy Godfather said, and Naruta felt a strange fuzzy feeling all over. She looked down and realized that she had grown an inch or so taller and her skin had become pale.

Sasuko chose this moment to come out of the house in her ball gown. She stopped short when she saw everything in her back yard. "You look great," Naruta said, giving her two thumbs up.

Kakashi stepped forward. "Everything's ready. Sasuko can get in the coach, and Shino, you take the coach to the forest by the castle and drive out once the ball has started. Don't let anyone see you until then. Oh, and be sure to be back by midnight, because everything wears off by your curfew."

"Some Fairy Godfather," Sasuko muttered.

Kakashi pretended to ignore her. "Naruta, please go and change out of that horrible orange dress. You know your way around the mansion, right?" Naruta nodded, and once again Kakashi seemed immensely relieved. "Good. Change into one of Sasuko's dresses and get ready for her family. And I think that takes care of every- Sasuko, what are you holding?"

Sasuko, who was climbing into the coach while searching her dress for a place to hide her kitchen knife, looked up innocently at her Fairy Godfather. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said.

"The knife you're hiding behind your back," Kakashi explained impatiently. "You can't take weapons to the Royal Palace."

"Oh, you mean this thing?"

Kakashi clenched his teeth. "Yes."

"Well, I'm not leaving it behind," said Sasuko, tossing her raven hair. "I need this for self-defense."

"From what?" Kakashi said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "At least let me make it look prettier." The Fairy Godfather snatched the knife and waved his had over it. "Abura kadabura!"

The knife turned into something sparkly, translucent, and glass-like, and Sasuko took it with something akin to reverence. "What is it?"

"I call it a Glass Kunai," Kakashi said proudly. "It'll make a great hair accessory and weapon to boot!"

Sasuko looked critically at the Glass Kunai, shrugged, twisted her hair into a knot on her head, and secured it with the weapon turned accessory.

"All right, you can go." Kakashi saluted Shino as Sasuko got into the coach, the Glass Kunai glistening in her hair. The Aburame snapped the reigns, and the red coach rolled into the forest.

"Good luck!" Naruta called, waving until her best friend was out of sight. "Well, it looks like it's just you and me now, Kakash- " She coughed and waved aside mauve smoke. "Never mind."

The Sasuko imposter headed inside and up to her best friend's room, where she changed out of the orange dress that was now too small for her and into a blue-and-tan plaid dress. It was one of Sasuko's favorites.

"Hmm…" Naruta paused at the bedroom door. She had been in here before, but never for very long, and always with Sasuko's watchful presence to keep her from snooping. But now that she was alone the opportunity was too good to pass up.

Sasuko's room was very blue. The bedspread was blue, the curtains were blue, the door was blue. There wasn't much on the walls except for a poster of Sasuko's favorite band - Orochimaru and the Kabutos - and a photograph of Sasuko and her parents and brothers. All this Naruta had already seen before, so she crouched down and felt under the bed.

Jackpot! Naruta withdrew a journal and grinned foxily as she flipped through it. But just then a tentative "Sasuko?" drifted up from the entrance hall, so she stuffed the journal into her dress pocket and walked quickly down the stairs.

It was Obito. "You have ten seconds," Naruta began with a withering glare. "I mean, uh…" She mentally kicked herself for messing up her lines. "Oh, it's you."

Obito frowned thoughtfully at her. "Um, are you okay, Sasuko?"

Naruta snapped into defense mode. "What are you talking about? What, is there something ELSE wrong with me now?"

"No, no, no, no, Sasuko, really, you're fine, you're fine!" Obito edged around her to the staircase, as though intending to dart past her and take refuge in his bedroom, but before he could get very far Naruta stopped him.

"When is Uncle Madara coming home?"

"Uh, in maybe a few minutes?"

The front door opened. "He should be right behind me," Itachi said, and Naruta couldn't help but admire his impeccable timing (perfect as always, Sasuko would say disdainfully).

The blond-turned-brunette tossed her hair and pointedly turned away from Sasuko's brothers. "Fine. I'll be doing the laundry if anyone wants to know." She left the front hall and quietly cursed. Sasuko wouldn't have disclosed her location or activities to her brothers!

To make up for her blunder Naruta decided to make herself scarce; she didn't want Madara on her case on top of everyone else. So she hid herself in one of the Uchiha Mansion's sitting rooms and began to kill time with Sasuko's diary until the real Sasuko came home.

_Dear Diary, Our new legal guardian is Uncle Madara. I hate him. He's such a jerk who thinks he can replace Mother and Father, and he's forcing me to be a servant!_

_Dear Diary, Obito met a girl named Rin. Apparently it was love at first sight, but I find that hard to believe. Sure, Obito's a nice guy, but he's such a klutz that it would take a miracle or at least a Fairy Godmother to make a girl fall in love with him._

_Dear Diary, I got into a huge fight with my lying, backstabbing former best friend Karin, and now I've met another, nicer girl named Naruta. She's much cooler than Karin (even though she's kind of an idiot and has an unhealthy obsession with some kind of pasta), and she'll make a much better friend than Karin._

_Dear Diary, I've heard some lousy rumors about Prince Sakaru, and I'm not sure he would make a great husband after all. But I guess it's too late to back out now…_

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"Sasuko, wake up!"

Naruta's eyes snapped open, but it took them a moment to adjust to the unexpected darkness. She was still in the sitting room, but it was night time now, and the only light came from a candle held by Itachi.

"Sasuko, maybe you should sleep in your room instead of here," her best friend's brother suggested.

"What time is it?"

"Pretty late; almost midnight."

"Really?" asked Naruta, wondering if Sasuko was on her way home. "I must have dozed off. Sorry."

Down the hall Naruta could vaguely hear a light chiming sound, and she began to feel prickly. Itachi's expression morphed into one of perfect bewilderment, and the blond looked down to see that her skin tone was growing darker, the hair in her peripheral vision was growing lighter and shorter, and her dress seemed to be changing so that it was too tight in some places and too loose in others. At last the fuzzy feeling stopped, and Naruta looked guiltily up at the Uchiha.

Itachi's voice, laden with mistrust, broke the silence. "Naruta? Why are you pretending to be my little sister?"


	7. Sasuko Crashes the Royal Ball

Chapter Seven: In Which Sasuko Crashes the Royal Ball

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A/N: Well, we finally get to the much-anticipated Royal Ball, and it's one of the longest chapters I've written! So I'll just stop talking and let you get right to it!

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The tomato-red coach pulled up in front of Konoha Palace, and Sasuko peeked out the window. _Wow,_ she thought. _So this is going to be my palace…_

Shino opened the door for her. "All right, Sasuko, you should get inside quickly so you'll have enough time before midnight."

"You're going to park the coach?"

"Yeah. If you need me I'll be posing as one of the gargoyles on the palace clock tower."

Sasuko tried not to think about how large of an insect he would need to be to successfully pose as a gargoyle. "Okay. I'll signal you by throwing my Glass Kunai at the clock."

Shino tried not to think about the strength and accuracy needed to hurl a knife to the top of a tower. "You scare me sometimes," he told her.

"You scare me sometimes, too."

They smiled at each other.

"Well, I guess I'd better get going," Sasuko said as she climbed from the coach. "See you later, Shino. Thank you for all your help," she added in a rare moment of kindness. And with that she entered the Royal Palace.

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The ball wasn't going badly, but even Prince Sakaru had to admit it wasn't going as planned. The young pinkette prince leaned against a marble pillar and sighed. At first many of the young ladies were eager to spend time with their Prince, but for some reason after a few dances they seemed to lose interest, and they were now content to dance and talk exclusively with their families and friends.

Across the ballroom Prince Sakaru caught sight of a forlorn Rock Lei, looking out of sorts in a forest green dress. Her short black hair had been brushed for once, and although she wore no jewelry and her dress was plainest of the plain, the Prince had to admit she looked less objectionable than usual.

Another dance began - lively, but not too fast - and Sakaru decided there was nothing better to do, so he made his way to the bushy-browed martial artist.

The words "May I have this dance" stopped dead on his lips, and he changed his invitation to "So…um, this is a nice song for a dance, huh?"

Rock Lei looked surprised, but she smiled anyway. "Oh, yes, Prince Sakaru. This song is most youthful…" Her smile wavered, and her gaze rested on one of the prettier girls in the ballroom. "I'm sure they'll love to dance to it."

"Well, naturally," said the Prince. "So would I, but everyone else already has a dance partner."

If Rock Lei had been an animal, her ears would've perked up. "I don't have one," she informed him. "What do you say, Cherry Tree of my heart? Shall we dance to this youthful song?"

"Sure," said Sakaru. "But this doesn't change anything between us, understand?"

Rock Lei, blissfully oblivious to the Prince's warning, dragged him out to the dance floor. She wasn't a very good dancer and she kept taking the lead, but Sakaru (who wasn't the best dancer either) didn't mind. A few measures into the song they were both laughing as they tread on each other's toes, and by the time the song ended they were winded but happy.

"Shall we dance again, Prince Sakaru?" Rock Lei asked. She stopped smiling. "Prince Sakaru? Can you hear me?"

The Prince didn't answer; Sasuko had just entered the ballroom.

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_What's with the huge dramatic silence?_ Sasuko thought as she looked from one gaping ball guest to another. But after a few moments they at last lost interest and began dancing and talking among themselves again, and Sasuko breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't want anyone to gossip about her to Uncle Madara - at least not until she was safely married to the Prince.

And speaking of…

"Hello, gorgeous," said a pink-haired young man in a red-and-silver suit.

"Who are you?" Sasuko sneered.

"Prince Sakaru of Konoha at your service, Lady…?"

"Nice to meet you," Sasuko lied, ignoring the Prince's inquiry for her name.

"Oh, likewise. May I have this dance?"

He was useless and annoying, Sasuko decided, but now that she was in this far she might as well go with the flow. "Sure, why not?"

A slowish waltz began as Prince Sakaru led the raven-haired beauty to the dance floor. It was a song Sasuko had danced to even as a little girl, and she knew it like the back of her hand. Unfortunately, this was not the case with the Prince. His amateur dancing and droning voice were maddening.

"One, two, three, one, two, three…Left, right, left, ri- I mean lef- no, right- Sorry, milady…One, two- oops, uh, one…I'm better at slow dances."

The Prince smiled sheepishly, and Sasuko gave him a poisonous look. "This _is_ a slow dance," she spat.

Prince Sakaru decided to take a stab at conversation. "So, um, I take it you like dancing?"

"Yes…"

"What kind of music do you like?"

"I can dance to all kinds of music," Sasuko boasted carelessly, "but I like the songs by Orochimaru and the Kabutos best - dark, moody funeral marches and requiems. It requires a lot of talent and creativity to dance to those."

Prince Sakaru either didn't hear the last part, or was deliberately ignoring it. "I never heard of Orochi-whatever-it-was, but I'm sure their music is really good if _you_ like it." Sasuko rolled her eyes. "But anyway, _my_ favorite music is by Slug Princess. Have you heard her stuff?"

"Um, no," said Sasuko, and immediately regretted it. The Prince began to explain. Fortunately at that moment a fast gavotte began, and Prince Sakaru was so preoccupied with stumbling around to the quick tempo that he was forced to cease his explanation.

Sasuko did some fast thinking as the dance ended, and before the Prince could resume his monologue or start another horrible dance, she said, "It's getting warm in here. Shall we go outside?"

"Oh, um…if you want, of course."

They made their way to a quiet terrace in full view of the palace clock tower, and to pass the time Sasuko began studying the gargoyles to see if she could spot Shino. However before even a minute had passed the Prince was talking again.

"So, um…" Prince Sakaru gulped noisily, and Sasuko twitched an eyebrow. "Do you like the ball so far?"

This appalling attempt at conversation made both of them cringe, and Sasuko began to debate whether or not to dignify the Prince's question with an answer. But after a moment she decided it would be best not to risk getting on his bad side - at least not if she wanted to marry him. "The ball is…very nice," she managed.

The Prince beamed. "Really?" he asked eagerly, his voice transforming into a rather high-pitched squeak. "I worked so hard to make it perfect!"

Sasuko gave him a worried look. "You? _Work?_ But…don't you have servants to do that for you?"

"Well, of course I have servants," Prince Sakaru shrugged. "That doesn't mean I don't do _any_ work. As the future ruler of Konoha I have to be really good at everything."

"Except dancing," Sasuko added under her breath. Her fantasy of life as Queen was quickly dissolving under the onslaught of this new information that rulers actually had to work. She had been hoping that, once married to the Prince, she would be _escaping_ the obligation of work, not to mention getting revenge on her family. But now it seemed she would have to work just as hard as anyone else as Queen.

Sasuko sighed.

Prince Sakaru mistook the sigh for one of admiration, and he puffed out his chest and began to brag. "My tutors say I have one of the most gifted minds they've ever taught, and that I have a lot of potential to become a great ruler. Of course, I don't like to brag- "

_Yeah right,_ thought Sasuko.

" -But I think I can honestly say that I am quite talented. I've been told that I am smart, confident, and kind to animals, and I also happen to be quite the connoisseur of beautiful young women."

"Are you now?" Sasuko asked through clenched teeth.

"Oh, yes," the Prince said airily. "For example, you, my dear, have the beauty of my cousin Ino, with just a hint of Nejiko in the way you hold your head. You move with the grace of Tenten with a touch of Hinata and you tongue is as swift and sharp as Temari's, and…"

Sasuko was slowly backing away from the Prince with a horrified look on the face that was as beautiful as Ino's with just a hint of Nejiko, when she heard another fast dance begin. "Why don't we rejoin the festivities?" she asked with false cheerfulness, interrupting Prince Sakaru's explanation of how her figure was a mix between Anko's and Hinata's.

Prince Sakaru looked a little disappointed. "Well, I suppose so," he said, following Sasuko into the ballroom.

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For the rest of the ball Sasuko was kept busy trying to dance with someone - anyone! - other than the Prince, but he always found her and of course she couldn't turn down an invitation from the heir to the throne, no matter how tempting it might be. He was stalking her, she was sure of it!

At last Prince Sakaru somehow persuaded the Uchiha to go back to the terrace in view of the clock tower, where, he hoped, she couldn't slip away from him. "My lady," said the Prince when they were alone, leaning close to her. He smelled slightly of cherry wine, and Sasuko wrinkled her nose.

"What?" she snapped.

"I know this may seem sudden, but I have fallen in love with you, and I don't even know your name!" the Prince declared dramatically. "I feel we were meant to be together! So would you…Would you ever consider…Would you be my wi- "

"Ah ha ha, um, well," Sasuko interrupted with a forced laugh, backing up into the railing around the terrace. "I don't know; we only just met tonight."

The Prince leaned in closer so that their noses were nearly touching. "True…But I swear I'll love you all my life."

Just before he kissed her, the clock struck twelve and Sasuko ducked out from under the Prince's arms with a sigh of immense relief. Talk about being saved by the bell!

Several things happened at once:

First, Prince Sakaru, who was still trying to kiss his raven-haired beauty, stumbled forward into the railing with a grunt of surprise.

Secondly, at the sound of his grunt a bushy-browed girl in a green dress charged onto the terrace with a cry of "Touch my Prince and you die!"

And at the same time Sasuko hurled her Glass Kunai at the clock as hard as she could.

Then several more things happened at the same time:

Once he recovered from the blow to the gut, courtesy of the railing, Prince Sakaru leapt up and yelled, "Where did she go?"

At the same time Rock Lei - for that was the name of the bushy-browed girl - shouted, "Did she hurt you, Prince of my Heart?"

And while all this was happening Sasuko slipped into the shadows, where she was snatched by a giant flying insect and flown to the coach parking lot.

She got inside her tomato coach, and the insect transformed into Shino. "Ready to go?" he asked her.

"Let's get out of here!" Sasuko answered.

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They were about a third of the way home when Sasuko found herself on the ground, wearing a ratty dress and sitting in the remains of a tomato. Shino stood in front of her, and the barking of the pack of dogs rang through the forest as they frolicked in glee, horses no longer. Then in a poof of mauve smoke Kakashi's dogs vanished, and the forest became abruptly silent.

Shino turned and offered Sasuko his hand. "I guess you'll have to ride me the rest of the way home," the were-insect said as he helped Sasuko to her feet.

Sasuko thought for a moment. "No, let's walk instead. It'll be nice to have someone to talk to."

Shino shrugged in consent, and the two began the journey to the Uchiha Mansion. After a minute of so the Aburame spoke. "So…I guess you and the Prince are engaged by now?"

Sasuko shuddered. "No, he's not my type. He's dull and a perverted stalker, and he's also completely useless. I hate people like that."

"What about your Happily Ever After? One of the conditions was to marry a prince."

"I'll find a different prince," said Sasuko. "Maybe he won't be royalty, but he'll be a prince to me, and he won't be a useless and perverted stalker fanboy. It'll work out."

"I guess so," sad Shino.

They lapsed into silence.

After another minute Sasuko cleared her throat. "Have you heard of Orochimaru and the Kabutos?"

"Oh, I love their requiems!" Shino exclaimed.

There wasn't another silence until the Uchiha Mansion came into sight, and then their conversation ceased, and Shino waved goodbye before disappearing into the forest. Sasuko made her way to the back door and put her key in the lock.

The door was already unlocked, and, too late, Sasuko noticed that the lights were still on. Before she could figure out what to do the door opened, and she found herself face to face with Naruta, Madara, Itachi, and Obito. Naruta shot her best friend an apologetic look.

"Sasuko, we need to talk," said Uncle Madara.


	8. Sasuko Gets Grounded For All Eternity

Chapter Eight: In Which Sasuko Gets Grounded for All Eternity

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_Uh-oh,_ Sasuko thought. _Busted._ She had been caught red-handed and neither Shino nor Kakashi were here to bail her out. There was only Naruta, and _she_ was busy avoiding Sasuko's death glare by having a staring contest with the floorboards.

It was over, all over! Uncle Madara would stop the Happily Ever After and he would never let Sasuko out of the house again! And Itachi and Obito would be so mean about it! They would torture her endlessly, and…and it was all so TOTALLY unfair!

"Sasuko!" bellowed Uncle Madara. "Stop acting like a drama queen and pay attention!"

Sasuko quickly jerked out of her reverie. "What?"

"I asked you why you didn't tell me about the ball."

The raven-haired beauty rolled her eyes as though it should be obvious. "Because if I told you, you wouldn't let me go."

Itachi nudged Obito. "I win. You owe me five gold pieces."

Obito scowled as he dug into his pockets. He _had_ to stop making bets with someone who always won.

Madara, meanwhile, did not look away from his niece. "Listen to me, Sasuko," he said firmly. "Had you asked me if you could go to the ball, _I would have let you go._"

"It was all Kakashi's idea, anyway," Sasuko said defensively.

Madara's bloodshot eyes narrowed. "Is that so?" said he. "Well then, I'll have to speak to him about that. But don't try to change the subject. We're talking about _you_."

"Hmph," said Sasuko.

Obito took a deep breath and put his orange goggles securely over his eyes before he marched up to Sasuko and put a hand on her shoulder. She glared at him, and he hastily removed it. "Sasuko, we're your family," he said as boldly as he could manage. "We love you, and we just want you to be happy and grow up to be a good person. Okay? So you don't have to hide everything from us, because we're here for you." He finished his speech with a gulp and scurried behind Itachi.

Sasuko tossed her hair. "Well, just because you're my family won't save me from being grounded for all eternity, will it?"

"We're not going to ground you," Uncle Madara sighed. "Have you been listening to a word we've said? We aren't mad that you went to the ball, we just wish you'd told us first."

"Could you _please_ let me go to bed now?" Sasuko snapped. "I've been up all night, and I have to get up early to do the chores that _YOU_ gave me."

"Fine," Madara relented. "But we _will_ continue this conversation tomorrow. Well, today, actually," he amended as Sasuko stomped up the stairs.

A minute of silence passed, and then Madara looked at Naruta. "This conversation won't affect her at all, will it?"

The blond shrugged apologetically. "Not if I know Sasuko. I think she's happier being miserable. In fact, it might be better if you _did_ ground her for all eternity, to give her something to complain about."

"We all worry about Sasuko," Itachi said, "but we worry less because she has a friend like you. Thank you, Naruta."

"Aw, shucks, it's nothing," Naruta said humbly, blushing.

"No, no, it's not nothing," Obito encouraged. "We're very grateful. But maybe you'd like to go home now? You've had a busy day, too."

"Okay, thanks!" Naruta said, getting up and heading out the back door with a cheery wave.

The moment she left Madara said, "I think we need to have a nice long discussion with Kakashi about Sasuko's Happily Ever After. _KAKASHI!_"

A minute ticked by, then two, and suddenly the room filled with mauve smoke.

"Uh, what's up?" the Uchiha Fairy Godfather asked bashfully.

"What were you thinking, coming up with a plan to help Sasuko sneak around behind her legal guardian's back?" Madara demanded. "You know that goes against your contract."

"She wouldn't accept my plan unless she was sure you wouldn't know about it," Kakashi explained meekly. "What was I supposed to do?"

"You were supposed to talk to me when it was time for Sasuko's Happily Ever After, that's what," Madara scowled. "And speaking of Happily Ever Afters, what about Itachi's? As the firstborn child his should've gotten his years ago, but Obito and now Sasuko have beaten him to it. You're supposed to be one of the best Fairy Godparents out there, but you haven't exactly been living up to expectations."

"I've been working on it, I swear," said Kakashi. "I finally figured out an appropriate Happily Ever After for Itachi - I'll talk to you about that later - and I'm working out the kinks in Sasuko's. Prince Sakaru is obviously head-over-heels for her…"

"You set her up with the Prince of Konoha?" all three Uchiha males yelped.

"That was her wish," the Fairy Godfather said patiently. "To marry a prince. And within a few hours someone will probably come from the Palace in search of the mysterious raven-haired beauty that so won over the Prince's heart at the Royal Ball, and then Sasuko will prove that she was the girl and she can go live happily ever after."

Madara studied him mistrustfully. "You're sure she'll get her Happily Ever After and marry a prince and all that?"

"Positive."

"All right, then, I guess you're off the hook," said Madara.

Little did the Uchiha males - or Kakashi himself - know that the consequences of the scheme for Sasuko's Happily Ever After would not be what anyone expected.


	9. A Search is Conducted

Chapter Nine: In Which a Search is Conducted

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Prince Sakaru, the Crown Prince of Konoha, was resigned to the fact that he would probably live out the rest of his life as a bachelor. The raven-haired beauty's rejection had wounded him, but it wouldn't be so bad being single, he had mumbled to Ino after the ball. At least he'd get to meet plenty of beautiful women this way. And besides, marriage wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

Queen Tsunade was resigned to the fact that she'd have to somehow force an arranged marriage between her son and a noblewoman from another kingdom, preferably one who had yet to meet Prince Sakaru. It would have to do, she had confided to Ino after the ball. Especially if she wanted to have grandchildren. And besides, love wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

Ino, Prince Sakaru's cousin, flat out refused to give up on finding a girl for the Prince. Darn it, everyone needed to find True Love, and there was no way she'd let Prince Sakaru get out of it.

This is why, on the midmorning after the Royal Ball, Ino was bullying two of her ex-boyfriends while holding a Glass Kunai that the palace security had retrieved from the clock. "Prince Sakaru _has_ to find that mysterious girl with dark hair," Ino explained vehemently. "It's _obvious_ they were meant to be together!"

"But we don't know her name or anything about her," Chouji pointed out between mouthfuls of the palace-quality club sandwich the head cook had prepared for him.

Ino brandished the Glass Kunai. "True, but you're a genius, Shikamaru, you can figure it out!"

"This is so troublesome," Shikamaru sighed, stuffing his hands deeper into his pockets.

Ino drew herself up to her full height and her eyes flashed. "For the sake of the love you had for me last year, and the love _you_ had for me eight months ago, I charge both of you to find the owner of this Glass Kunai, no matter the cost!"

Both young men cringed, and Shikamaru snatched the Glass Kunai before Ino could think of anything else to use against them.

They now had a mission.

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"So how do we figure out who the girl is with just a Glass Kunai?" Chouji asked as he munched on his third club sandwich, which he'd brought along just in case.

Shikamaru shrugged. "We deduce her identity with logic, I guess. Firstly, we already know she has dark hair and eyes. Secondly, she didn't give her name, which likely means that either she wasn't supposed to be at the ball, or she _wanted_ to seem mysterious and cool. Thirdly, she has amazing arm strength to be able to throw the Glass Kunai to the top of the clock tower."

"So what dark-haired girl do we know who has amazing arm strength and doesn't come to parties very much?" Chouji said thoughtfully.

"Let's start with how many dark-haired girls do we know at all? There aren't that many."

"Hinata?"

"Wrong eye color."

"Tenten?"

"Possibly. Anyone else?"

"Sasuko?"

"The Uchiha girl? Also a possibility."

"Wait!" Chouji exclaimed. "She disappeared so suddenly; what if she used magic?"

Shikamaru cursed. "That means we can't take her appearance for granted because she may have altered it, which means we'll have to interview _every_ girl!"

"Well, only ones with Fairy Godparents, right?"

"Fairy Godparents and dark hair."

"So where do we start?"

"Hinata and Nejiko. They live nearby."

"Doesn't Hinata have a boyfriend? The jealous type?"

There was a long pause.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru grumbled.

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"Well, we know the Prince's girl isn't Tenten," Chouji said optimistically as they were both kicked out of the weapon collector's house. At first she had been very kind due to her interest in the Glass Kunai (being a weapon collector and all). But upon hearing that her visitors were inspecting a possible interest in the Prince, she had promptly and unceremoniously sent them on their way.

"We can also rule out the Hyuga cousins," Shikamaru added. Their brief interview with Nejiko had resulted in a horribly long lecture about destiny that had bored them out of their minds, and halfway through their interview with Hinata her boyfriend Kiba had shown up to chase them out in a jealous rage, even going so far as to sic his giant white dog on them.

All day it had been the same thing: Shikamaru and Chouji would show up at a house, show the Glass Kunai, explain why they were there, and then leave before anyone had a chance to start throwing the books and chairs and (occasionally) pianos they had picked up menacingly.

And now Ino's ex-boyfriends were running out of options.

"Naruta lives just up ahead," said Chouji, pointing to a quaint, cozy-looking house at the edge of the Uchiha property line.

"She's not dark-haired, and I don't think she has a Fairy Godparent," Shikamaru said hopefully, anxious to avoid more work. Chouji, however, refused to give up.

"We have to try every house," he said stubbornly. "Ino is depending on us to find Prince Sakaru's True Love!"

"You really care about that troublesome girl, don't you?" Shikamaru said with a small shake of his head. Ino had been crazy to break up with his best friend.

They knocked on the door, which was opened after a moment by a woman with amazingly long, bright red hair. "Can I help you boys?" she asked, smiling.

"Is this Naruta Uzumaki's house?" Chouji asked, just in case he'd gotten the address wrong.

"Yes, but I'm afraid you just missed her. She left to visit her friend Sasuko."

"Well, that's fine, she's next on our list," said Chouji, and Shikamaru elbowed him to be quiet.

"Are you Mrs. Uzumaki?" the genius asked.

"I am."

"Do you mind if we asked you some questions about your daughter. We were sent by Lady Ino on behalf of Prince Sakaru."

Mrs. Uzumaki looked alarmed. "Of course; please come in." She held the door open wider for her guests.

Naruta's house was brightly decorated in red, orange, yellow, and white, and the light from the setting sun and the lamps made the living room in which Shikamaru and Chouji stood seem cheerful and inviting. Mrs. Uzumaki gestured for them to sit on a yellow and orange floral-print sofa, and she took a seat across from them in a red armchair and told them to ask away.

"Do you know if your daughter was ever interested in Prince Sakaru?" Shikamaru began.

Mrs. Uzumaki laughed. "Oh, Naruta used to have the biggest crush on His Highness when she was younger," she said fondly.

"Really…" Shikamaru and Chouji exchanged glances. This was promising. "Did Naruta ever express an interest in wealth or improved living conditions?"

"Eh?" Mrs. Uzumaki wrinkled her brow in thought. "Well, I suppose she was always a little jealous of Sasuko's massive inheritance. My husband Minato, as you may know, is a very high-ranking noble, but we chose to give our excess wealth to charity and live a modest life. When she was little Naruta must've thought it was unfair, but I think she understands our decision to share with the poor now that she's older."

_Or perhaps not,_ Shikamaru thought. "Does Naruta have a godparent?"

"But of course!" smiled Mrs. Uzumaki. "Her godfather is none other than Jiraiya, the famous novelist and good friend of the Queen's."

"Is her - er - human?"

"_Half_ human," corrected Mrs. Uzumaki. "He's also half toad-sage."

"You mean the wish-granting type of toad sage?" asked Chouji.

"Yup," she beamed.

Shikamaru leaned forward eagerly. They were so close he could almost taste victory. "Do you know what your daughter was doing last night?"

Mrs. Uzumaki looked confused. "She and Sasuko decided not to go to the Royal Ball, so they had a party at the Uchiha Mansion. She came home a little after midnight."

Bullseye!

"Thank you for your time, Mrs. Uzumaki," Chouji said as he and Shikamaru got to their feet.

"Any time, boys," Naruta's mother said, still confused, as she showed them to the door. "I hope I answered all of your questions well."

"Don't worry, you've been a huge help," Shikamaru reassured her. The instant the two friends were outside they began to walk briskly toward the Uchiha Mansion.

"She's the one," said Chouji. "She has to be."

"Romantic and financial motivations, a Toad Sage Godfather, and an alibi without any proof," Shikamaru agreed. "It all fits."

"So we just need to find her and inspect her hand for the kunai-throwing callus thing?"

"Yeah."

"And then can we celebrate with all-you-can-eat barbeque?" Chouji asked, drooling at the thought.

"Sure, buddy, but I'm not treating."

"Phooey."

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Naruta and her best friend were in the middle of an intense card game in Sasuko's room when Uncle Madara called to them from downstairs to say that there were two boys who wanted to see the blond Uzumaki girl.

The two friends frowned thoughtfully at each other as they went to the entrance hall. Everyone else was there: Madara, Itachi, Obito, and…

"Shikamaru? Chouji? What're you guys doing here?" Naruta yelled, running over to them.

"Idiot," muttered Sasuko.

"Troublesome," sighed Shikamaru.

"We need to see your had for calluses," Chouji proclaimed. "We have reason to believe you disguised yourself as a dark-haired beauty with - how did Sakaru put it? 'Ungodly good looks and mad dancing skills'? - to win the heart of the Prince at last night's Royal Ball."

"WHAAAT?" yelped Naruta. "You…you think _I'm_ the one who…" She burst into a hysterical laughing fit. "WAH HA HA HA HA! And you call yourself a genius, Shikamaru! HA HA! Did you figure all that out by yourself, or did someone give you a hint? HA HA HA!"

"What my sister's best friend _means_ to say," Itachi translated, "is that you guessed the wrong person. Sasuko is the Prince's mystery girl."

His little sister flushed an unusual, blotch maroon.

"Oh," said Shikamaru, feeling severely deflated. Now that he saw her in person, he realized it should have been obvious all along.

"We still need to see her hand," Chouji pointed out to cover his own mortification, and Sasuko reluctantly trudged over to take the Glass Kunai.

The knife fit her calluses perfectly.

"Finally," Shikamaru grumbled as he edged past Naruta - who was still giggling helplessly - to reach the front door. "Let's get her to the Palace to marry the Prince, quickly!"

Sasuko was horrified. For the second or maybe third time in her life, she lost her cool. "M-marry the Prince?"

"Your Happily Ever After," Obito reminded her.

"It is?" Sasuko asked dumbly, but inside her thoughts were spinning almost out of control. _Not that! Not Prince Sakaru!_ She clutched at the first excuse to come to mind. "Um, I'm not…not dressed properly. Yeah, that's it! So I'll go change!"

She sprinted up the stairs and into her room before anyone could protest, knotted her sheets into a rope, climbed out the window, and ran into the woods in less than two minutes.

"SHINO!" Sasuko screeched in a very un-Sasuko-like way. "SHINO, YOU ABURAME WERE-BUG, GET YOUR ABDOMEN OVER HERE RIGHT NOW BEFORE I- "

"What _IS_ it?" Shino snapped from behind her as he finished transforming into his human form.

"Kakashi's Happily Ever After," Sasuko explained, lowering her voice and gasping to catch her breath. "Sorry for screaming like that but I didn't know how else to find you. They're going to make me marry Prince Sakaru!"

"So?" Shino said testily. He hadn't quite forgiven her for scaring half the insect population of Konoha Forest out of their wits.

"So, I don't want to marry Prince Sakaru, I want to marry you," Sasuko said without thinking.

Shino completely forgot his anger and simply gaped at her. "Are you…Are you serious?" he whispered.

"What do you mean, am I- Oh," she gasped as her own words dawned on her. There was a pregnant pause as the two looked anywhere but at each other and the anxious chittering of the insects calmed down. Then Sasuko managed a fake cough. "As I was saying, I want to be an Aburame. So where do I sign?"

Shino decided this was as close to a confession of love as two people like them could possibly get. And he was in no way complaining. At that moment, Shino Aburame counted himself among the luckiest people on the planet. "I'll introduce you to Mom and Dad," he said.

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_Naruta:_

_I just got engaged to Shino - I think you've met him - so I've been kind of busy lately, what with our upcoming elopement and all, which is why I haven't been able to contact you since I left._

_Yes, I said I'm engaged. Stop grinning like an idiot, Idiot. I know you well enough to tell when you're being all stupidly mushy and romantic._

_Anyway, the Aburame family is kind of like royalty among the insects of Konoha forest. So in a way I AM marrying a prince. Tell Kakashi he's off the hook._

___Shino and I will come visit as soon as the initiation rites and wedding are over. Please don't tell Uncle Madara about us. I want to tell him myself._  


_Your friend, Sasuko Uchiha_


	10. Several Happily Ever Afters Happen

Chapter Ten: In Which Several Happily Ever Afters Happen

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A/N: Thanks to everyone who read and enjoyed this. Thanks especially to those of you who left a review; you guys made my day! =)

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Queen Tsunade, sitting regally upon her throne with the Prince on her right and Lady Ino on her left, was a majestic sight indeed. Unless you happened to be reporting that your attempt to find the Prince's True Love resulted in the bride-to-be fleeing from the house. This being the case, you were more likely to be too nervous to take in the scene, and the Queen was most likely scowling at you as though wishing she possessed the super strength to rip you apart.

It was mid-afternoon, two days after the ball and one day after the search for Sasuko. Shikamaru and Chouji were giving their report late because they'd wanted to put it off as long as possible.

"So you're saying that she just…left?" Ino asked, appalled that anyone could be so stupid as to turn down True Love.

Shikamaru shrugged uncomfortably. "Yeah. We suspect she went into Konoha Forest, because the Uchiha Mansion is right on the edge. We told Mr. Uchiha to let us know when she comes back, but, well…she hasn't yet."

"So basically Sasuko was so desperate to avoid marrying my son that she even ran away from home," Queen Tsunade said icily, and no one dared to respond to this statement that implied things dangerously close to treason.

Prince Sakaru's lower lip trembled. "How could she do this to me?" he wailed. "She broke my heart twice in three days! How could she be so cruel to someone who would walk to the end of the world if it weren't so far away?"

"Maybe that's just the way she is," Chouji sighed.

Ino reached over to pat her cousin on the back. "Don't worry, this has happened to me tons of times. There are other True Loves out there."

"But who?" cried the Prince. "And how would I find her? I - "

There was an interruption as the Throne Room doors opened and Sai, the head of castle security, hurried up to the Queen and whispered urgently in her ear.

"What is it?" Whisper, whisper, whisper. "Who?" Whisper, whisper. "I see. Bring her in," ordered the Queen.

Sai left and came back with two soldiers - Kotetsu and Izumo - and Rock Lei, the bushy-browed martial artist herself.

Prince Sakaru felt a strange pang when he saw her. Lei's eyes were puffy and red from crying (an activity she'd indulged in on and off since the ball had been announced), her short black hair was tangled and somewhat matted, and she wore a plain light brown dress that was easier on the eyes that that garish green unitard, but it was dirty and wrinkled. She obviously had had a rough time since the ball. However what really struck Prince Sakaru was not how ratty she looked, but the radiant joy that shone on her face (although she looked just a little guilty).

"I'm surprised at you, Lei," Queen Tsunade said sternly, although there wasn't really any anger in her voice. "A lady like you, resorting to eavesdropping!"

"Forgive me, your majesty," Rock Lei beamed. "I merely wished to know whether or not the search for Prince Sakaru's True Love had been successful."

Ah, so _that_ was why she was so euphoric. The search had failed, causing her to believe she had a chance with the Prince. Still, Sakaru had to admit, he was glad to see Rock Lei happy again. He had…he…

He had missed seeing Rock Lei's smile. Ever since the Royal Ball had been announced and the martial artist had started sulking, Prince Sakaru had felt a palpable lack of something…important. At the time he'd been too distracted by the ball to really think about it, but now he understood.

To his mortification, Prince Sakaru realized he was in love with Rock Lei.

_Well, I suppose there's no help for it,_ he told himself as he reluctantly got up from his throne and trudged to Lei's side. "Will you marry me?" he grumbled.

Queen Tsunade, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, and Kotetsu and Izumo all shouted, "_What?_" and even Sai, who had the emotional range of an amoeba, allowed his jaw to drop in surprise.

But as loud as they were, they were still drowned out by Rock Lei's youthful bellow of "YES! YES, CHERRY TREE PRINCE OF MY HEART, I WILL INDEED MARRY YOU! YOU WILL BE THE PERSON WHO IS MOST PRECIOUS TO ME, AND I WILL PROTECT YOU WITH MY LIFE!"

She probably would've kept going for a long time if Prince Sakaru hadn't kissed her to shut her up (and he enjoyed the kiss more than he ever cared to admit). The unfortunate witnesses of Rock Lei's acceptance removed their hands from their ears in relief.

Prince Sakaru and Rock Lei were soon married. Everyone was invited to the Royal Wedding (and great care was taken to include every Fairy Godparent. More marriages had been destroyed due to vengeful Fairy Wishes than to any other single event in recorded history). In time King Sakaru and Queen Lei would be regarded as the greatest and wisest Royal couple to rule Konoha, but that's another story, and we aren't quite finished with this one yet.

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Madara Uchiha and his two nephews returned from the Royal Wedding in grim silence. They were much too worried about Sasuko to be glad for the newlyweds; why did their darling little sister run away? What was she doing? And perhaps most importantly: where was she?

Their question was answered when they opened the front door of the Uchiha Mansion. Sasuko was standing in the entrance hall with a young man an inch shorter than her and another man old enough to be her father. Both males had sunglasses and dark, curly hair. All three of them wore dark trenchcoats.

"Sasuko?" gasped Madara.

"Hello, Uncle Madara, Itachi, Obito." She nodded at each of them in turn. "I want you to meet my husband and my father-in-law."

"Husband?" gasped Itachi.

"Father-in-law?" gasped Obito.

"Who are you?" asked Madara.

The older man strode forward and shook Madara's hand. "I am Shibi, the Aburame clan leader. This is my son, Shino."

"The were-insect family?" Madara said incredulously. "My niece is going to marry a were-insect?"

"HAS married, actually," corrected Shino.

"I can turn into an insect, too!" Sasuko added happily.

"You can _what?_" spluttered Obito.

"Isn't she amazing?" sighed Shino.

"Um, well, do you two…love each other?" Madara managed, deciding this was the most important question to ask.

"I wouldn't have married him if I didn't," said Sasuko.

"I wouldn't have married _her_ if I didn't," said Shino.

"Well, that's good then," Madara said with a sigh (whether of relief or reluctance, he himself couldn't tell). "You have my blessings."

Sasuko's eyes grew misty. "Thanks, Uncle Madara," she said in a wobbly voice, darting over to give him a hug.

"Who are you," said Obito, "and what have you done with Sasuko?"

"I figured there really isn't a point in being mad at you all the time," explained Sasuko as she let go of Madara and went to hug her brothers. "I'd rather have a loving family that a bunch of enemies. I'll visit as much as I can," she added.

"You'll promise to take good care of her?" Madara asked Mr. Aburame and his son.

"Of course," said Mr. Aburame.

"For all my life," said Shino.

Sasuko smiled as she rejoined her husband. "Let's visit Naruta next," she suggested.

The three of them jumped out of a conveniently-placed window, and the last thing the Uchihas saw was a cluster of dark winged creatures on the horizon.

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After Mr. Aburame had returned to the forest, having no interest in meeting his son and daughter-in-law's friends, Shino and Sasuko arrived at the Uzumaki residence and rang the doorbell. A tall blond man opened the door and smiled. "Sasuko! My daughter's been waiting impatiently for you. Come in!"

Sasuko and Shino walked inside, and after a split second Naruta came charging into the room. "Sasuko! Shino! You guys are married! Congratulations! This is so cool! What took you so long! Prince Sakaru got married! I was - "

"Shut up, idiot." Sasuko rolled her eyes. Naruta grinned, and the three friends all sat down on the yellow and orange floral-print sofa while Mr. and Mrs. Uzumaki politely excused themselves from the room.

"It's good to see you again, Naruta," said Shino.

"Yeah," Sasuko agreed. "Did you talk to Kakashi?"

Naruta slapped her forehead. "I _knew_ there was something I forgot!"

"Can you summon him or something?" Shino wondered.

"I don't know," Sasuko answered thoughtfully. "I've never tried. But maybe if I…_KAKASHI!_"

In less than a minute there was a poof of mauve smoke, and the familiar silver-haired Fairy Godfather settled himself in a vacant red armchair across from Sasuko, Shino, and Naruta. "Yo!" he said. "I was wondering when I would hear from you, Sasuko. You may recall that I am bound to get you married to a prince, and now that Konoha's Prince Sakaru just got married, I'll need to find you another one!"

"Well, the thing is - " began Sasuko

"Let's see…" Kakashi continued, ignoring his goddaughter. "What do you think of marrying Prince Gaara of Suna?"

"No thanks," Sasuko said impatiently.

"What?" Kakashi frowned.

Shino straightened in his seat. "Sasuko is already my wife," he explained.

Kakashi's visible eye widened. "I'm doomed," he said simply.

"Nah, don't worry about it, Kakashi," said Naruta. "Shino is sort of like the prince of the Konoha Forest insects. Right, guys? So Sasuko got a good Happily Ever After and you don't have to worry."

"Really," Kakashi said sarcastically. "I beg to differ. Madara is going to be furious with me, and I _still_ can't figure out what to give Itachi for his Happily Ever After. If I fail my duties as a Fairy Godparent the consequences are horrendous! They'll pluck off my wings and…"

"Oh, stop being such a drama queen," said Sasuko, and everyone gaped at her.

"Now there's something I never thought I'd hear from you of all people," Kakashi chuckled. "Practically your whole life has been drama, you know."

"Yes, I know, and I'm sick of it. So I reconciled with my family and married a person I actually love, and in a few years we'll live a normal life in a normal tree with normal were-insect children. No more drama. Just a normal life."

"Depends on how you define normal," Naruta muttered.

Kakashi looked thoughtful. "Well, then, what would _you_ recommend for Itachi's Happily Ever After? Since you're the expert on drama-free normalcy now?"

"Meh, just pair him up with one of his fangirls - let's say Tenten, she's the least fangirly - and make them get married and have kids," Sasuko shrugged. "Oh, but make sure they actually love each other first. It hardly counts as a Happily Ever After if they can't stand each other. And believe me, I can relate," she added under her breath, thinking of Prince Sakaru.

Kakashi saluted. "Right then, I'll get right to it!" He vanished in another poof of mauve smoke.

"What?" said Shino. "He just left? No 'I'll be in trouble with Madara'? No 'How could you do this to me, Sasuko'?"

"I think he just wanted ideas for Itachi's Happily Ever After. He wasn't really that worried, especially when he found out I'd already made up with my family."

"He's always copying ideas," said Naruta, solemnly shaking her head. "Like from those books he reads. What do you call them? Brothers Bleakk? Hans Buddhist Anderson? I don't read stuffy old books like that. I read _true_ literature, like fan fiction!"

"You have no respect for the classics, Naruta," Sasuko sighed.

Naruta ignored her, as she always did. "So you guys are going to visit often, right?" she asked as the three of them stood.

"Of course we are," said Sasuko with a rare grin.

Shino put his arm around her shoulders, and Naruta flinched, expecting Sasuko to murder the poor guy, but the couple seemed not to notice anything out of the ordinary. It was definitely True Love if Sasuko allowed someone to touch her without going ballistic.

"Goodbye, Naruta," said Shino.

"We'll be back to visit soon," said Sasuko.

"When you have kids, can I be their godmother?" asked Naruta.

Sasuko rolled her eyes again, but she was still smiling as she and her husband returned home to Konoha Forest.

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A/N: And that's the last chapter! But don't worry, there's still the epilogue before CinderSasuko is over. Maybe you could drop a review before you click the Next button?


	11. Epilogue

Epilogue

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Ironically, it was Naruta and not Sasuko who ended up married to a prince. During a visit to the kingdom of Suna she met the Crown Prince, Gaara, and the two fell madly in love and were married within a month. Despite the hasty (and somewhat spontaneous) wedding, they remained happy and deeply in love all their lives.

King Sakaru and Queen Rock Lei ruled over Konoha with great wisdom, loved by their people, and the former Queen Tsunade was happily able to enjoy her retirement.

Itachi did indeed end up falling in love with and marrying Tenten - with Kakashi's help, of course - and they had many perfect children and lived a perfect life.

Obito married his fiancé, Rin, barely a year after Sasuko's marriage. After another year they had a daughter, and they named her Mikoto after the Uchiha siblings' mother. Kakashi became her Fairy Godfather, and although I will not go into details, let it suffice to say that after a series of misadventures involving dwarves and poison apples Mikoto ended up marrying the son of King Gaara and Queen Naruta.

Madara lived to a ripe old age, finding satisfaction in watching his niece and nephews raise happy families. In time he even married a woman of about his age - the owner of the Ball and Bridal Boutique next to his general store - and they lived out the rest of their lives in peace and happiness together.

King Sakaru's cousin Lady Ino traveled the world in search of True Love, only to discover that it had been in Konoha all along. Upon her return she married Chouji, and they couldn't have been happier.

Kakashi stayed in the Fairy Godparent business, deciding to chronicle the adventures of his godchildren for future generations in a book that he titled Kakashi's Fairy Tales (it was on the bestseller list for three generations straight). He is still granting wishes to this day.

Sasuko and Shino lived a drama-free life in Konoha Forest, raising many were-insect children. Eventually they persuaded King Sakaru to end the discrimination against were-insects so that they could visit friends and family whenever they wanted. They also made it their mission to protect the rights of godchildren on the receiving end of some of the more…questionable Fairy gifts.

And they all lived Happily Ever After.


End file.
